Best Universities for Accounting/Business?

[AJordan]

Hi All

So here's the thing, I've just started my last year of sixth form, and in a years time I may well be starting at University.

If I do choose to go down the University route, I shall be looking to do a course in the Business/Accountancy/Finance area, possibly with a specialism within that course (various family friends tell me that they now wish they'd taken a more specific degree)

I'm a bit overwhelmed by all this but really, my first issue is to search for the right Uni, one that is held in high regard for subjects such as these, ideally in the South, and I was hoping that maybe PH'ers would have some reccomendations or experience?

Cheers

Andrew

[rog007]

Do you want to be businessman or an accountant, or both? Once you know what you want to be, you trawl the uni websites for a course then look at the uni in the Times ranking and aim to choose the best based upon your predicted grades. Additionally, look at someone you admire who is in your chosen profession and see what unis they went to. Good luck!

[Use Psychology]

It's not a real degree so all the courses are effectively crap.

Do a proper, rigorous subject. You will learn all of the skills and the specialist, mostly obvious, (and rather dull) knowledge that comprises business-type courses can be picked up when you get to your real career.

[Eric Mc]

I don't recall any of the trainee accountants I have worked with coming to the profession with specific business related degrees. We had music graduates, geologists, linguists (cunning and otherwise) - you name it.

[jas xjr]

Eric Mc said:

I don't recall any of the trainee accountants I have worked with coming to the profession with specific business related degrees. We had music graduates, geologists, linguists (cunning and otherwise) - you name it.

my neice did a short internship at kpmg , she was told this too

[NathanJones]

I went to Nottingham

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/ug/NN34.html

[blippo1984]

My advice, as an Accountant and 28 year old is:

Do a degree in someting you enjoy and are good at. Its a 3 year commitment!

Visit alot of Unis, and take a tour. Some will look great on paper but wont feel right. Some will be thr oppositr.

When choosing bear in mind thr Top 100 list. The brutal fact is that an interviewer will be more impressed by graduates from a uni they percieve as being more prestigious. Times too 100 is as good as anything for selecting the 'best' uni.

If you choose business, look for courses with a year placement in industry as this will make you very rmployable.

Happy to chat more if you PM me.

I did History at Bristol for information.

[REM2112]

I did Economics with Accounting at Bristol University, but got thrown off the accounting part for not going to lectures beacuse it was so boring. Finished with a degree in Economics only - which was a subject I enjoyed. Didn't stop me becoming a Chartered Accountant.

I agree with the earlier posters - do a degree you enjoy. The people I trained with at Arthur Young (oops, showing my age) read all manner of subjects - from memory the first one to partner studied classics.

[Zad]

blippo1984 said:

Visit alot of Unis, and take a tour. Some will look great on paper but wont feel right. Some will be thr oppositr.

This is worth repeating.

Nothing beats actually going and seeing what the personal chemistry is like. When I was 17 and doing the rounds of the various Unis, only a couple felt right, and only one was a place where I wanted to spend several years of my life.

In theory it shouldn't be the case, but the "big" city/town names count for a lot when it comes to getting work. Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, York, Nottingham etc. But above all, if you go somewhere and it feels good, go with it. Even if it is the Ex Polytechnic of Inner Urban Dumpland.

[Ali_D]

If you want to go big 4 route choose a uni in a city with big 4 offices. It seems to help. I joined Deloittes after a levels and there seem to be more of these schemes available now. Don't rule that option out if you don't find a degree you want to take.

[lazygraduand]

A lot of my university friends who have just graduated in Accounting and Finance regretted their choice of course. Much better to do something interesting for three years and then letting a company train you- most big accounting firms will pay for and assist with a range of different qualifications, from ACA to CIMA to CFA- than to suffer through three dull years. They don't really care what you studied- I studied principally within the geography department and of the other graduates from my department who have 'graduate' level jobs now, we're all either within financial services or accounting. (Boring, huh.) Oh, and one who works in the civil service fast stream.

Edited by lazygraduand on Wednesday 12th September 22:44

[lewisf182]

Whatever course you do or uni you attend, make sure you do a placement year. Most recruitment agencies wont even look at any people I know who didnt do a placement, and iv had many many interviews since starting looking for jobs in July due to me having a placement (the fact I havnt got a job is because im crap at interviews, although just been offered one).

[lazygraduand]

lewisf182 said:

Whatever course you do or uni you attend, make sure you do a placement year. Most recruitment agencies wont even look at any people I know who didnt do a placement, and iv had many many interviews since starting looking for jobs in July due to me having a placement (the fact I havnt got a job is because im crap at interviews, although just been offered one).

You don't need to do a placement year, an internship during your summer holidays will do just fine. More importantly, though, going to a good university and studying a sound subject in the first place will be what most recruiters will like.

[lewisf182]

lazygraduand said:

You don't need to do a placement year, an internship during your summer holidays will do just fine. More importantly, though, going to a good university and studying a sound subject in the first place will be what most recruiters will like.

Yes placement or internship will seriously help. I honestly dont feel the degree barely matters these days as long as its at least a 2.1, like I said, most recruitment agencies iv spoken to (and thats a lot) said they dont even consider candidates without experience these days. Graduate schemes are obviously different to this by their nature.

My brother is another good example, he did a placement and had many offers upon finishing University this year in property related fields, my other friend also studying property who didnt do a placement hasn't heard ANYTHING back from any application hes ever done

[AJordan]

Thanks for the feedback guys, been really helpful

I've looked at some courses, and they vary, some are linked with outside companys (KPMG etc) I assume to get on one of theses would be better?
I guess I've now narrowed down my search to courses with a placement year, whether I do Accounting or Business, as the favour towards real world experience seems to be shared by everyone

It seems that a few of you have got into 'the trade' as it were, having done slightly different courses at Uni, am I to assume then that grabbing a course with as many professional exemtions as possible isn't essetial then?

Now need to narrow down my shortlist of Uni's and visit a few

[hyperblue]

AJordan said:

It seems that a few of you have got into 'the trade' as it were, having done slightly different courses at Uni, am I to assume then that grabbing a course with as many professional exemtions as possible isn't essetial then?

A few of my Uni friends did Business & Accounting degrees and blitzed through their ACA/CIMA exams due to the amount of exemptions the degree gave them. It's not essential, but you'll become a chartered accountant (and therefore earning more) quicker.

Use Psychology said:

It's not a real degree so all the courses are effectively crap.

Fantastic username/comment combo

[blippo1984]

AJordan said:

Thanks for the feedback guys, been really helpful

I've looked at some courses, and they vary, some are linked with outside companys (KPMG etc) I assume to get on one of theses would be better?
I guess I've now narrowed down my search to courses with a placement year, whether I do Accounting or Business, as the favour towards real world experience seems to be shared by everyone

It seems that a few of you have got into 'the trade' as it were, having done slightly different courses at Uni, am I to assume then that grabbing a course with as many professional exemtions as possible isn't essetial then?

Now need to narrow down my shortlist of Uni's and visit a few

Glad to help.

The KPMG course is interesting. You actually go to uni in holiday time with the rest of your intake at the firm. Therefore you armt getting the traditional uni experience as nobody is there! I would see it more as you train as an accountant and get a degree also.

Placement years are really valuable.

Gemerally, any degree at 2.1 or better is fine. Howvere, not all universities and courses are equal and certainly are nkt percieved as equal. Use Times top 100. Ask unis what percentage of students are subsequently employed.

I wouldnt worry about exemptions. On an ACA you cant sit the final exam until year 3 anyway and you need x amount of days practical experience before your qualify.

[Rushmore]

I'd recommend Oxford (or Cambridge, if you can't avoid it), enjoy life, get drunk at Vincent's as often as possible -and worry about accounting later.

[Welshbeef]

Harvard and secondly MIT are the best.

I'd say always choose a core degree as if your good at these then a professional qualification will be the next logical step. Be it accountancy or ideally an MBa.

Accountancy make sure you choose the correct qualification for you be it practice or CIMA though you can do a course /module to be convert either so not a big issue really however make sure it's a globally recognised institute then you can use your trade globally which gives you options.

[lazygraduand]

Welshbeef said:

Harvard and secondly MIT are the best.

I'd say always choose a core degree as if your good at these then a professional qualification will be the next logical step. Be it accountancy or ideally an MBa.

Accountancy make sure you choose the correct qualification for you be it practice or CIMA though you can do a course /module to be convert either so not a big issue really however make sure it's a globally recognised institute then you can use your trade globally which gives you options.

Harvard and MIT, and MBA's!? Did you read the OP?